Vampire: The Masquerade: L.A. By Night
Vampire: The Masquerade: L.A. By Night is a live-play chronicle for Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition produced by Geek and Sundry since November 2018, broadcasting on Twitch and being hosted on YouTube. Set in the revived and more contemporary World of Darkness detailed in V5, the story centers on the Anarch-ruled Los Angeles. The city where the Movement all began. The series utilises many canonical characters from VtM lore and even has some portrayed by guest players. Summary Season 1 Chapter 1: Mortal Stakes The chronicle begins at Griffith College as the campus is stricken by a curious epidemic, with multiple students reporting flu-like, almost anemic symptoms. Investigating the signs of a rogue Kindred poaching within their domain, Victor Temple, Nelli G., and Jasper descend upon the college come nightfall. After a brief search, the coterie quickly identifies the perpetrator; Anabelle, a fledgling vampire attempting to score her next meal in fellow student Chris, a dimwitted but well-meaning lacrosse player. Jasper tracks the pair back to Chris' apartment, wherein the cat is well and truly let out of the bag. Opting for the direct route, Victor barges in and, upon being confronted by a surprised Chris, in a momentary slip lets the Beast out and nearly drinks the hapless mortal dry. Jasper pulls the Ventrue away from him in the nick of time, but not before Anabelle witnesses the entire bloody spectacle. A shocking sight, almost as shocking as the next revelation: Victor recognizes Anabelle. She's dating his son, Mark. The coterie wraps things up quickly, with Victor patching up Chris and using Dominate to wipe his memory of the past few minutes. His driver Ib pulls up the building and the Kindred retreat to the relative privacy of the car with Anabelle in tow. Their impromptu interrogation, however, only results in more questions than answers; Anabelle is entirely unaware of Kindred society and has no idea who sired her. She's stubborn, scared, and more than a little confused. Fortunately, she seemingly hasn't breached the Masquerade, and so the coterie sets course for Hollywood to bring her before the Baron, Isaac Abrams. After a brief but harrowing conversation with the Baron, Abrams tasks the coterie with supervising Anabelle's "education", and orders them to seek out Eva, "the Witch", a Tremere who dwells in the Griffith Observatory, to determine the neonate's clan. On the way there, Ib warns of someone tailing their car, and the group does their best to give Anabelle the abridged description of vampire clans and bloodlines. Arriving at the observatory, Nelli spies a strange apparition only she can see: a woman in a ghostly white dress. It appears and then vanishes just as suddenly, much to her dismay and the rest of coterie's confusion. Within the observatory, a ritual is performed and Anabelle is revealed to be a Brujah, of the 13th Generation. Unfortunately, there isn't much time to mull over this discovery, as outside a car slams into Victor's SUV and a group of armed thugs exit, attacking Ib. The coterie is quick to react; with Anabelle using her newfound strength to pummel one into the asphalt, and Jasper sneaking up and interrogating the other at knifepoint. But, when asked who sent him, the thug answers "MacNeil sent me". Jasper retreats back into the shadows as the rest of the coterie clambers into the thugs' abandoned vehicle. During their escape, the Nosferatu briefly goes one-on-one with a second pursuing car, grabbing on long enough to spy another Kindred in the passenger seat, a woman with long, bestial fangs. And so the coterie parts ways, escaping into a long and uncertain night...VTM: L.A. By Night Chapter 1 - Youtube Chapter 2: Instruments of Darkness The coterie reconvenes at their on-campus haven next night to tie up a few loose ends, which serves as a teachable moment regarding upholding the Masquerade for Annabelle (though at the regrettable cost of her phone, destroyed by Nelli). Victor makes preparations to cover up the incident at the observatory and ditch the car they "acquired" from their attackers, claiming through his manipulation of social media that his original ride was stolen. Jasper shares what he gleaned from his adventures in car-wrestling, as well as the strange confession of the thug he interrogated. Later, Annabelle - shadowed by Jasper - returns to Chris' apartment to make sure he doesn't retain any suspicions regarding the somewhat traumatic events of the previous night. Upon arrival, Annabelle encounters not Chris but his brother Rick - and some tragic news. Chris is dead. He died in a hit-and-run just outside his own apartment complex. Shocked by the sheer suddenness of it all, Annabelle staggers out of the building in a daze and Jasper tries his best to console her. Later, in a somewhat awkward car ride, she calls ahead to her girlfriend, Ellenore, telling her to pack up and leave town, just for a few days, and then Mark, if only to check up. Meanwhile, Victor calls up a few contacts and the coterie soon finds themselves in a seedy auto shop in "East" East Hollywood, checking the stolen SUV's GPS records. They track the car's last stop to an abandoned factory in the L.A. Valley's industrial district. Exploring the address for clues as to their attackers' identities and whereabouts, they discover a strangely intelligent swarm of rats and a pair of eyes peering down on them from an upper platform. Jasper attempts to give chase only to go headfirst through a plate glass window and the eyes vanish. Outside, a limousine pulls up to the factory and out steps the darkly charming Charles "Chaz" Price, Nelli's sire (or to use Annabelle's term, "vampire daddy"). Chaz has apparently come to check up on his erstwhile childe, as well as extend an offer from the Camarilla to Victor, though he insists on retiring somewhere more "aesthetically pleasing" first. Nelli suggests the Highland (no doubt to offend Chaz's aesthetic tastes), choosing to ride with him on the way to the club as the rest of the coterie follow's in Victor's car. In private, Chaz makes it quite clear he expects Nelli's full cooperation while dealing with Victor, or otherwise he'll be forced to bring to light certain sordid aspects of her past - namely, diablerie. The group eventually arrives, retiring to the Highland's champagne room to conduct business, and Annabelle gets her first introduction to the Ivory Tower. Unfortunately, Jasper - brought to the edge of Frenzy by mounting hunger exacerbated his encounter with the window and the club's press of bodies - has to excuse himself. Annabelle goes with him, to ensure he gets out alright. The negotiations continue and Victor manages to secure a potential meeting with Vannevar Thomas, the former Prince of San Francisco. But, once again their meeting is interrupted, this time by another pair of thugs under some form of mental control - bringing greetings from a "Bobby" in the form of a bullet. Victor ducks out, not wanting to cause a scene in such a public venue. In the alley outside of the club, an increasingly unstable Jasper tears away from Annabelle at a considerable cost to his own willpower, ripping open a manhole cover and fleeing into the sewers below. Annabelle gives chase but nearly Frenzies herself when confronted with the strange, pitch-black labyrinth under the city streets. Elsewhere, Victor Soaring Leaps to safety, and the thugs' own chase is brought to an abrupt and brutal end when confronted by Chaz's enormous bodyguard, Chauncey. The coterie's paths diverge; Victor peals into the night with Ib at the steering wheel, Annabelle emerges from the sewers lost and alone, Nelli shares an uncomfortable goodbye with her sire, and Jasper makes it home - and feeds. Chapter 3: Fear No Monsters The next night, the coterie once again regroups at their haven, albeit with Jasper noticeably absent. Victor - in light of all the "craziness" of late - has a few things for Annabelle; a new phone, a 9mm pistol, and a chance at employment, though she's hesitant to accept the latter. A new Kindred joins the coterie that night, X, an enthusiastic Malkavian who owes Jasper a favor, as he explains via voicemail: Nelli and Victor aren't exactly thrilled by this; the last time X showed up to one of to one of the Toreador's fashion shows, he quite literally shat all over the stage. With that in mind, Victor is feeling understandably nervous since he's hosting the premiere of up-and-coming artist Chocolate Drop's new album at his club tonight. Nevertheless, X seems quite up to the task of his role as caretaker, explaining the importance of Kindred boons to Annabelle and even going into the intricacies of the differences and outlooks of the various Clans. Granted, the latter explanation takes the form of a convoluted metaphor involving elephants, bats, and strange allegories involving unsavory details of pachydermic anatomy, but it gets the major points across, sort of. Ib drives the coterie (and X) to Club Maharaja, Victor's own little kingdom in the heart of East Hollywood. They enter the bustling scene and part ways, Victor soaking the limelight, pressing the flesh, shaking hands and taking selfies with fans. Nelli reunites with Brad, a handsome actor, and her most recent plaything. Annabelle runs into Juan, one of her fellow students from Griffith College, who wonders if she's doing alright. He says "the secret thing" misses her and is worried about her. Annabelle's more worried about Juan's safety; she says she'll come, but stresses that Juan can't tell anyone he's contacted her. Fortuitously, X's timely arrival aborts what could have been a rather dangerous conversation. Meanwhile, Victor and Nelli are up on the second level of the club; the Ventrue for business, the Toreador for pleasure. Nelli and Brad are joined by a pair of attractive young women and a bottle of champagne for an evening of revelry, while Victor checks up on Chocolate Drop and coaxes some information regarding the recent attacks from a few acquaintances of his. Down on the dance floor, X sneaks under the DJ's booth with Annabelle and, using Premonition, receives a curious vision. The Malkavian sees a lean, mangy wolf, chewing on a golden crown, straining with all its might and yet unable to break the metal circlet. The pair of them retreat from underneath the booth to the Club's tastefully decorated third floor, wherein Annabelle consoles a panicking X, who seems to be suffering from some sort of existential crisis due to his Clan's bane. Victor receives a disturbing report from one of his security guards later into the evening: a swarm of rats is flooding up from the basement. Victor alerts the rest of the coterie and together they travel down into the club's lowest level, where they discover that the basement is indeed flooded with an ankle-deep swarm of literal rats, with a grimy-looking young woman, a teenager really, with glowing eyes crouched in their midst. Nelli's a bit preoccupied, however; she once again sees the ethereal woman in the white dress, this time on the far side of the basement. The tangible woman, meanwhile, says she's just here to talk, and with some aggressive negotiation from Victor and Annabelle agrees to withdraw her skittering horde. The newcomer, Ramona, wants to know why they invaded her place yesterday and has something for them in exchange for the information. Annabelle gives her the short version of recent events, Nelli moves towards the hole where the rats entered as if in a trance, and X starts naming the rats. Ramona then produces a canvas duffle bag, which she explains was hidden in the factory. In return for the bag, she wants Baron Abrams to leave her squat alone, seeing as it's technically within his domain. Victor agrees to put in a good word, and even extends the hospitality of his own domain, provided the contents of the bag are valuable. A deal is struck, with Ramona further elaborating that "a lick and her ghoul friends" were briefly hanging out in her territory, and she suspects the lick in question might be a Gangrel, like her. Chaz had also apparently paid her place a visit before, though not at the same time as the others. Victor sifts through the contents of the bag, which is packed to the brim with military-grade handguns, strange ammunition, handcuffs, a set of lockpicks, a taser, a few metal bottles filled with an unknown liquid, and a couple of expertly-crafted wooden stakes. Victor immediately texts Ib to meet him in his office on the third floor and departs. Locking the doors behind him, he and Ib pour over the bag's disturbing contents and what they could mean before stashing the items in a secret compartment. The rest of the coterie eventually catches up with him, though he refuses to let them known what's in the bag (due to the fact he doesn't want X, and by proxy Baron Therese Voerman to find out). Nelli, in turn, isn't particularly open to the idea of sharing her own experience in the basement, though she does explain enough to suddenly trigger another vision in X. He sees an old-fashioned room, a young woman in dress standing the light pouring through a nearby window. Outside is a beautiful green landscape of rolling hills, and a valley; Los Angeles, long before it was even as a city. The Malkavian calls out to the woman. She turns to face him... and it's Nelli. X snaps out of the vision and reveals what he saw, which only leaves Nelli with more questions. Elsewhere in the club, Victor is finally getting some answers; interrogating a dealer named Tommy T he learns that a man named Bobby Blaine - someone he ran with back in his more criminally-inclined days before the Embrace - is gunning for him, although Tommy doesn't know why exactly. Victor sends Tommy out to find out more - using Mesmerize to ensure the job's done right. Back on the dance floor, the party continues, until Victor is forced to evacuate the crowds when he receives notice that "some of Mr. Blaine's people are here". And indeed, Blaine's representatives have arrived, in the form of yet another faceless goon, Baron Abrams himself, and Isiah Temple - Victor's other son. Chapter 4: Happy Families The next chapter of the chronicle picks up precisely where the last left off - with Victor staring down his own son astride the Baron of Hollywood and one of Bobby Blaine's "associates". Ignoring Isiah for the moment, the Ventrue is quite curious as to why Abrams of all people would be aiding Blaine. The Elder cryptically replies that he's bound to repay a debt, though he's certainly not happy about it. Either way, Abrams has come to resolve the seeming feud between Victor and Blaine; he simply can't be having this kind of unpleasantness on his turf. Annabelle, meanwhile, could swear that the person standing next to the Baron was Mark Temple, her boyfriend, but says nothing for now. Negotiations over the prestation commence... or were about to commence when suddenly a large black bird flies into the club, alighting on the balcony, soon joined by an entire murder of crows. Things rapidly spiral out of control from there. A trio of gunmen break in as the coterie splits, Victor makes for his office and the weapons within, Abrams hands Nelli a long, wicked dagger, the thug accompanying Isiah goes for his pistol, only to be stopped by Annabelle, who (inadvertently) breaks his wrist. X dashes out into the open only to immediately dash away behind the DJ booth when the newcomers open fire. With the music at full blast, courtesy of Ramona, a fight well and truly breaks out on the dance floor. Nelli downs a pre-prepared Ritual vial, using Cling of the Insect to scale the walls towards the action. Down below, X manages to neutralize one of the gunmen by flipping the heavy booth on to him. Annabelle rushes over to "Mark", who's just as confused as she is, and after a short but eye-opening conversation for both of them the pair attempt to escape the chaos. The chaos has other plans - a Nosferatu with lunging at them on the stairwell. X is in trouble; the two remaining gunmen managed to flank him, but Nelli comes to his rescue, using her blade and Corrosive Vitae to send the stage's lighting rigging crashing down on their heads. Victor arrives, with one of the strange pistols from the duffle bag in each hand, only to spy a new threat. A woman, grinning with long fangs and a raven perched on her shoulder, stands opposite him on the other side of the club. She calls out to Victor, long, bestial claws sprouting from her fingertips, and the two Kindred clash. Annabelle has a similar problem, but after a brief struggle manages to football kick the fallen DJ booth directly into the Nosferatu, sending him staggering. Victor has yet to land a shot on his opponent, her talons nearly ripping open his thigh. Nelli drops behind the Gangrel from the ceiling and buries her dagger in the back of the woman's neck; giving Victor the opening he needs. His next shot strikes true, and to everyone's collective shock, the bullet combusts on impact, setting his unfortunate attacker alight. X finishes the job - in accordance with a vision he received under the stairwell - paying a quick stop to the kitchens during the commotion and wolfing down some grease, before proceeding to vomit the flammable mess all over the burning Gangrel. Her dying screams are ear-shattering. Victor finishes off the remaining mortal assailants, the Nosferatu seemingly having slipped away in the confusion. He then turns to Isiah, who just watched his father murder several people in cold blood, and takes away his memories of the fight. The whole coterie reconvenes on the third-floor office and Victor sits down for a much-needed talk with his son. Isiah reveals he fell into the criminal life (specifically what Victor didn't ''want for him) and was introduced to Blaine through Sour Sugar; a band that performs at the campus quad in Griffith College. Apparently, Blaine's also working with the government, unbeknownst to the majority of his men, with his main base of operations located in a hotel in the Valley called the Hartford. Nelli and Victor make preparations to get Isiah out of town for a while, with Ib eventually escorting him out of the building and driving him to the airport. While surveying the wreckage left behind by the battle, Nelli, through her use of See the Unseen, spies the Nosferatu attempting to hide out on the second floor. Confronting him, the Kindred, Nick, barters for his life with a bit more information regarding Blaine: he is, in fact, working with government agents, who seem to know much more than they should regarding the vampiric presence within L.A. They're the ones that provided Blaine with hunting equipment in the duffle bag, and, according to Nick, those gadgets are just the tip of the iceberg. Agreeing to spy on his former boss on Victor's behalf, the Nosferatu slips back into the shadows as the Ventrue turns to confront Baron Abrams. In an unexpected power play, Victor makes it quite clear to Abrams that if anyone finds out about Blaine's connection to the Second Inquisition, and through that Blaine's connection to Abrams, things will get ugly for the Baron. But, Victor's quite happy to keep any aspersions to himself provided that the Toreador gives him something in return: the Valley. Abrams begrudgingly agrees to his terms and Victor Temple, now Baron of the Valley, strides proudly into the night. Chapter 5: What I Am That evening, the Griffith campus haven has a new guest - Ramona, come to negotiate with the newly-appointed Baron of the Valley. Jasper has returned, though Nelli is absent, the Toreador being preoccupied with dealing with a series of leaks detailing the College Board's alleged taking of bribes from less-than-reputable sources. Ramona and Victor quickly hash out a deal: hospitality within his domain, with all the rights that privilege entails, provided the Gangrel keeps an eye on the campus, and an eye on Blaine. An arrangement is reached - though Victor does lose a rather nice office chair in the negotiations. Next on the docket is the pressing matter of Sour Sugar, the musical duo that introduced Victor's son to Blaine in the first place. According to Jasper, the two of them do a bit more on campus than just busking, revealing a white twist of paper containing a pill that is a suspiciously arterial shade of red. These "Drops" are apparently making their way into the campus through the band's nightly performances, though where they're made or even what effects they have, he can't say. The coterie agrees it would be best to have a chat with Sour Sugar and departs, though Jasper stays behind long enough to give Ramona a final task. He gives her a description and a name: Chloe - she's to be protected at all costs. The group then arrives in the main quad to behold a massive gathering, the beginnings of a student protest sparked by the leaks. However, during the subsequent search for their quarries, Victor spots a distinctive figure observing the crowd, taking a picture and sending it to the rest of the coterie. Jasper doesn't recognize him... but Annabelle does, from a night only a couple days before; a struggle, fangs against her throat. It's her sire. Everyone immediately closes in, much to the strange Kindred's bemusement. They move off to a more private location and Annabelle lets loose. Her blows thunder into her sire furiously, though to little effect, to the point where Jasper needs to physically hold her back. Amused, the Kindred introduces himself as Carver, and coincidentally, he's also looking into Sour Sugar. The confrontation with the band proves less than ideal, however, with an exceedingly emotional Annabelle and Carver's mere presence sending both Francis and Clay scurrying. Victor tasks Ib with tracking the pair to wherever they're headed, and the coterie, with Carver in tow, returns to the haven to hopefully get some answers out of the Brujah. Carver explains he's in L.A. doing "census work" for the Anarch State; specifically taking stock of all the Thin-Bloods in the area, including Clay and Francis. He also reveals that he wasn't the one who killed Annabelle, that was Nick, after she and a few of her fellow student activists firebombed a senator's office that just so happened to be connected to the Nosferatu. Carver already has his eye on Annabelle and arrived for the fallout: it was either Embrace her or let her die. He made a judgment call, not that Annabelle's thanking him for it. Outside, the protest is beginning to get hectic. Police are on the scene and are ordering the students to disperse. The commotion's so loud the coterie can hear it from inside the haven. The coterie departs in pursuit of Sour Sugar just as the authorities fired tear gas into the crowd. Following Ib's directions, they arrive at a dilapidated two-story house in a run-down neighborhood. Parking in the alley behind it, Victor leaps to the roof while Annabelle, Jasper, and Carver creep in through a basement window. Victor manages to swing himself through one of the second-story windows and beholds a grisly sight: like some nightmare version of a laboratory, a human cadaver lying on a table hooked up to all manner of beakers and tubing, and, even more oddly, a pressure cooker. Standing behind this mess is Clay, who immediately takes a drink out of a coffee cup he holds. As Victor goes for his gun, Clay holds out his hand and the firearm goes flying from his fingers as if tossed by an invisible hand. The rest of the coterie has arrived on the main floor, with Annabelle dealing with the group of students that are seemingly squatting there. Carver ascends the stairs just in time to see Victor grab Clay by the lapels in the throes of Frenzy. However, the Brujah has other priorities, using Blink to move faster than the eye can follow, grabbing a mysterious book from the laboratory and tipping over the entire table before departing. Fires begin to spark. Clay attempts to use his strange telekinesis to free himself, which only sends Victor over the edge. The Baron sinks his fangs into the Thin-Blood and doesn't stop until he's drained dry, just as Annabelle arrives. Carver makes sure the rest of the building will go up in flames as Jasper deals with the fleeing students outside. Landing on the hood of their car, fully visible, ripping the driver out of his vehicle through the windshield. Annabelle manages to pull Victor off of Clay, but it's too late. His body burns with the rest of the house. Victor retrieves his gun and the remainder of the Kindred retreat. Jasper knocks out one student, but the other two get out of the car and attempt to flee. He pounces, knocking their skulls together with bone-shattering force... killing them both. His mission complete, Carver says his goodbyes to Annabelle, but not before clocking an approaching Francis right across the jaw at dizzying speeds on his way out. Victor calls Ib as Annabelle tries her best to console a very panicked Francis, who as it turns out is working for Blaine, helping to spread the "Drops", a drug that promotes susceptibility to vampiric influence, in order to help his bid to take over Victor's domain. Jasper, having thrown the corpses into the growing inferno to cover his tracks, takes Francis to the car, telling him to leave town with the remaining student. Then, he takes the SUV the coterie arrived in and leaves the scene behind. Annabelle and Victor depart soon after. Much later, Jasper meets up with Annabelle outside her house. He tells her about the other two students, the "mistake". He says, "we need to be better." But can they? Chapter 6: Immortal Longings The coterie has yet another guest in their haven - this time the businesswoman and fellow Ventrue Fiona, here on behalf of Baron Abrams to help Victor comb through the ins-and-outs of his new domain. Apparently, the L.A. Valley is a strange place these nights, a massive residential area and yet with a remarkably small Kindred population, not to mention the strange goings-on in Glendale and Griffith Park. Jasper is once again absent, meaning he won't be present for the next item on Baron Temple's agenda: a meeting with "The Ministry", the recently-rebranded Followers of Set having an extended an invitation to Victor. Along with Fiona, the coterie travels to ''Le Chat Noir, an exceedingly lavish cabaret in Glendale owned and operated by Miranda, a Setite Elder who welcomes them upon arrival. Together the Kindred retire to a private room overlooking the excesses of L.A's rich and indolent, and business commences. Miranda explains that, given the recent shift of power, she wishes to ally herself with Victor as to give her Clan a seat in the table. The Ministry wants to be involved in the future of the City of Angels, regardless of what form that takes. Victor, though cautious, is willing to recognize the Setites as a legitimate faction within his domain, but before they can hammer the finer details Nelli spies something through the room's one-way window. It's Brad, in one of the adjoining rooms - with another woman. Sensitive to the sudden rush of "bad air" in the room, Miranda invites the coterie to take a moment to relax before they resume their talks. Nelli makes a beeline for Brad's room, storming in and scaring off the woman, threatening to hurt him if she ever catches him with another. Miranda takes Annabelle on a tour of the club, ensorcelling the neonate and advising her on how to truly live beyond death. Back in the hidden room, the two Ventrue have a private discussion regarding Victor's chosen company - Fiona finds the coterie a little too impulsive for her liking. Reconvening, Victor and Miranda shake on their new arrangement, and in a show of thanks the Setite imparts upon them a gift - a collared and chained Nosferatu, Nick, who evidently didn't quite live up to the terms of the arrangement he made with Victor. Annabelle's reaction upon seeing him is nothing short of explosive, driving him into the wall at stake-point. Even inches away from the Final Death Nick still tries to weasel his way out; offering up details on Jasper's mysterious whereabouts in exchange for his life. Nelli has a counteroffer: using Entrancement to coax the details out of the Nosferatu. Spellbound, he reveals the existence of a hidden Labyrinth under L.A. Extremely emotional after Carver's retelling the details of her Embrace, Annabelle stakes Nick and nearly beats him to death with her bare hands. Even then, she can't bring herself to strike the final blow... but Nelli can. The Toreador slits his throat as Nick lays immobile and Annabelle experiences firsthand the horror of the Final Death. Fiona, meanwhile, is extremely amused by this entire display, but not so amused that she doesn't notice a suspicious woman sitting at the bar. Victor takes notice as well, pointing out a second individual, a blonde, bespectacled man sitting at an adjacent table, recognizing the woman as fitting the description he was given of one of the hunters sent to L.A. The Second Inquisition is here, in the cabaret. Miranda is adamant that she cannot have bloodshed on the main floor, but there is a basement where more... indiscreet events take place that could suit their needs. The Kindred devise a plan to herd the hunters into the basement and then split: Annabelle and Fiona descend downstairs, Victor and Nelli approach their targets, and Miranda calls on the club's security to watch the exits. The plan goes off without arousing too much suspicion: Victor Mesmerizes the blonde hunter into following him, while Nelli uses Corrosive Vitae, cleverly disguising its use in a wine spill, to render the female hunter's sidearm useless. Then, with a bit of persuasion from one of Miranda's security, the enormous Mr. Lamb, the pair of them join the rest of the coterie downstairs. The subsequent interrogation of the Special Agents Josephine and Wilson confirms quite a bit of what they already know: that persistent thorn in their side Bobby Blaine is indeed working with the FBI. His collaboration has allowed their department to gain some serious backing, the cache of weapons the coterie recovered being a recent result of their new operational budget. Before the Kindred can decide what to do with the pair, alarms sound as Le Chat Noir suddenly begins to go up in flames. The coterie is forced to (once again) make a hasty retreat, though despite this unforeseen altercation is has been a rather successful night. An accord has been reached with the Ministry, and now there is only one hunter left in L.A... Chapter 7: Tooth and Claw Worried for Jasper's safety, the coterie, along with Ib, descend into the "Labrinyth" armed to the teeth with Hunter weaponry. Entering through an abandoned slaughterhouse near the L.A. River, old service tunnels (and quite a few tripwires connected to improvised explosives) soon give way to a strange, non-euclidean maze wherein the walls shift, doors appear and disappear at random, open pits fall into pitch blackness, and strange, heatless fires burn in subterranean alcoves. Venturing further, the coterie discovers a large mirror that casts no reflection, a mirror one can step through... and into the void. Just a suddenly the group is deposited through the portal to a new, cavernous chamber, the mirror now just an ordinary pane of glass. Before they can even begin to unravel what they just experienced, a growl sounds behind the Kindred and from the gloom charges a nightmare. A musclebound mass of fangs, claws, and furred brawn: an honest-to-god werewolf. Victor and Ib immediately open fire but their pistols' specialized incendiary ammo barely fazes the creature, rushing forward and opening up the Baron's gut in one savage swipe. Annabelle's attack, however, sends it staggering back, the silver ring on her hand sparking as it connects with the werewolf's chest. Nelli takes the Hunters' mysterious vial and, clinging to the ceiling above the Lupine, drops it on the grating below, its acidic contents very nearly sending their assailant plummeting through the floor. As the Lupine attempts to pull itself back up to solid ground, the coterie charges through the nearest exit, Victor still trying to keep his intestines from falling out. Several twists and turns later, the group is hopelessly lost, which makes it all the more surprising when they encounter tattooed, bearded man in the next chamber, a man with a prominent burn scar across his chest... The werewolf re-introduces himself, seeing as the Leeches are likely his only hope of escaping the Labyrinth. Strikes-a-Chord has been down here for days; he's hungry and he's very tired, so in return for some navigational assistance he's willing to play nice, for now. He also claims that he's seen someone resembling the coterie's missing friend in another area of the underground maze, and so the group has little choice but to go along with the truce. Together, the unlikely companions discover a prone Kindred deep in torpor. He's definitely a Nosferatu, but definitely not Jasper, much to Strikes' frustration. The mystery deepens as Nelli's senses detect a web of blood magic encircling the Nosferatu, like a network of arterial veins suspended in the air, but can't quite divine its purpose. Wisely deciding to let sleeping vampires lie, they press on. Strikes' manages to track the scent of fresh air to a new location; a series of neatly-furnished rooms, within them a cage, and within it, much to everyone's collective horror, a scared and confused Kindred. The young woman, Tara, claims that a "monster" kidnapped her off the street and has been holding here, giving her people to feed off of and then feeding off of her in turn. Strikes, enraged, shifts into back into his war-form, tearing the doors off of Jasper's haven and loping out into the night, leaving the coterie behind to deal with the fallout of this most damning of discoveries. Chapter 8: Who Can You Trust? Season 1 Epilogues Chapter 9: Keep Us Apart? Chapter 10: Black Magic? Chapter 11: Uneasy? Chapter 12: Find My Home Season 2 Chapter 1: Unnatural Troubles Chapter 2: Eye for an Eye Chapter 3: Gentle Manners Chapter 5: Duel Chapter 6: The Warning Chapter 7: Red Flags Chapter 8: Innocent Monsters Chapter 9: Embrace the Dark Season 2 Epilogues The Devil's Garden Watch the Night Save the Darkness Dark Hallways Season 3 Episode 1: Dead Road Episode 2: Love and Fear Episode 3: Dancing with the Devil Episode 4: Swimming with the Sharks Episode 5: Play the Devil Episode 6: Beauty and Decay Episode 7: Hollywood Ending Episode 8: Blood Divides Episode 9: Into the Night Season 3 Epilogues Set Me Free Break the Silence Shattered Faith Captain of My Soul Witching Time Silence in Heaven Season 4 Episode 1: More Than Human Cast and Characters Main *Alexander Ward as Jasper Hartwood, a Nosferatu "problem-solver" employed by Isaac Abrams and residing in Hollywood. Jaded and resigned to a bleak existence barred away from the world, he accepts whatever tasks and sacrifices are necessary for him to survive. When not with the coterie, he tends to his "business" and hides himself underground. In private, he mourns his lost connection to Chloe, a mortal woman he loved before his Embrace. *Cynthia Marie as Natalie Griffith (Nelli G.), a Toreador fashionista who is idolized and famous in the mortal world while hiding her true nature. The owner of an extensive and successful fashion line, she also teaches fashion design at Griffith College. Exuding an unbridled sense of confidence and moxy, she carries out her business - and her whims - almost completely unimpeded. Nelli is well-known as an extravagant and reputable presence in the local Kindred realm. She even has the ear of the baron, Isaac Abrams - a clanmate who considers her a trusted personal friend. At the same time, Nelli struggles to escape from a dark and troubled past. *B. Dave Walters as Victor Temple, a Ventrue music mogul and the owner of Club Maharaja. A former basketball player, well-known businessman, and the CEO and owner of the Temple of Boom record label. At the same time, also a man who has a longstanding criminal reputation dating back before his Embrace. Rich. Business-savvy. Ruthless - when the need arises. Like Nelli, Victor too is also famous in the mortal world. Yet even more than Nelli, Victor uses fame and influence to its maximum to hide his undead nature - using social media and a constant public image as the ultimate means of subterfuge and deflection. Extensively connected in the mortal and the Kindred world, he is always looking to expand his network and further his empire. Behind all his ventures and his dealings, he also takes great lengths to protect the mortal family he left behind - by any means necessary. *Erika Ishii as Anabelle, a Brujah neonate, newly Embraced. In life, she was a student and an activist with a passion for fighting injustice. Now, she has to struggle with her new existence feeding on the blood of others - living in the Kindred world, where injustice is more common and extreme than she ever could have imagined. Where violence and murder are a simple way of life (or as she's being taught by those around her, "unlife"). *Jason Carl as the Storyteller. Recurring *Noura Ibrahim as Ib (also portrayed by the Storyteller), a Ghoul vassal of Fiorenza Savona (whom she knows as her "employer"), loaned to Victor Temple where she serves as his driver and right-hand. Ib is also one of the oldest non-Kindred characters introduced in the chronicle, having been born in the Middle East around WWI, making her nearly a century old. *Mark Meer as Chaz Price, the Toreador sire of Nelli G. An agent of the Camarilla and, by extension, Vannevar Thomas. He comes to Los Angeles with an agenda to further Camarilla interests. He demands that Nelli help him with his tasks, holding the dark secrets of her past as weighted leverage. The worst of which is his knowledge of a diablerie she committed many years prior, something he subtly and cuttingly chides her for in private. Later, Chaz was declared Prince Thomas' Herald and delivered his claim of praxis to the Barons of Los Angeles. *Xander Jeanneret as "X", a Malkavian prankster and a friend of Jasper's asked to watch over Anabelle during his absence. "X" also had dealings with Victor and Nelli in the past - where his antics managed to antagonize the both of them beyond measure. *Bex Taylor-Klaus as Ramona (also portrayed by the Storyteller), an Autarkis Gangrel neonate with a vast amount of experience in the Kindred world who encounters the coterie by chance. She has just returned to LA, drifting through the Anarch districts and squatting in an abandoned building in Hollywood. She and Anabelle become fast friends, and by the end of Season 1, she relocates to Griffith College under the employ of Victor Temple (whom she relishes the chance to annoy and torment). Using her powers of Animalism, she commands a hoard of rats she calls "The Rat Pack" - much to the disgust of Nelli G. *Taliesin Jaffe as Carver, an older Brujah Anarch with unknown connections and the sire of Anabelle. Given his description of his "work", Carver could very well be a Sweeper. *Ash Minnick as Fiona, a Ventrue businesswoman and former agent of Baron Isaac Abrams before rising to the rank of Baron herself, claiming part of Valley as her domain. *Satine Phoenix as Miranda, the owner of Le Chat Noir and an Elder of the newly "rebranding" clan known as The Ministry. *Jason Charles Miller as Strikes-a-Chord, a werewolf, and member of the Bone Gnawer Tribe. *Jessica Chobot as Victoria Ash. *Vince Caso as Gregory Demetrios, a former FBI special agent and hunter who traveled to L.A. to investigate vampiric activity, "blankbodies", as they termed them. After his fellow agents were discovered and presumably killed at Le Chat Noir, Gregory approached Nelli, desperate to make some sort of deal for his life only to be unwittingly ghouled by her. *Becca Scott as Chloe, Jasper's former love before he was Embraced and disappeared. A senior at Griffith College and a journalism student, she believes that Jasper died five years ago. *Marisha Ray as Ellenore (also portrayed by the Storyteller), Anabelle's girlfriend who tries to aid her as best she can with her newfound vampirism and a fellow student activist. *Josephine McAdam as Eva (also portrayed by the Storyteller), a Tremere blood sorceress, known to the Anarchs of L.A. as "The Witch", who dwells in Griffith Observatory. A member of House Carna, Eva has a vested interest in keeping the Camarilla out of her adopted home. To that end Eva frequently aids the coterie and has grown quite fond of them, particularly Jasper. Storyteller Characters *Isaac Abrams, Toreador Elder and Baron of Hollywood (and formerly the Valley). An old presence in Los Angeles. A mogul of the movie industry. A staunch opponent of the Camarilla and all its "jack-booted thugs" dating back longer than most. Now, powerful in the Blood as well as long in immortality, Isaac hides his growing fear as he starts to feel the looming call of the Beckoning come to pull him away from all that he has built. *Mark Temple, the son of Victor Temple and twin brother of Isiah Temple. The boyfriend of Anabelle and a fellow student activist. *Fiorenza Savona, a fellow Ventrue and an old acquaintance and ally of Victor Temple. She is a powerful figure in the (reorganized) Camarilla, vastly connected in the Kindred and the mortal world and feared by no small measure. She is also the Domitor of Ib, whom she loaned to Victor as a favour. *Bobby Blaine, a Brujah neonate and would-be crime boss who sold out his fellow Kindred of L.A. to the Second Inquisition in order to persecute his grudge against Victor Temple. Met the Final Death at Victor's hand at the Succubus Club. *Isiah Temple, the son of Victor Temple and twin brother of Mark Temple. *Nick, a Nosferatu and former member of Bobby Blaine's coterie. Responsible for Annabelle's near-death, which led to her Embrace by Carver. Met the Final Death at Le Chat Noir, captured by Miranda, beaten into torpor by Anabelle, and finally finished off by Nelli. *Carla, a Gangrel and former member of Bobby Blaine's coterie. Attacked the coterie once at Griffith Observatory and again at Club Maharaja, where she met the Final Death through the combined efforts of Victor, Nelli, and "X". *Petronilla Feliz, a Wraith and ancestor of Nelli G. *Antonio Feliz, a Wraith and Petronilla's uncle (also an ancestor of Nelli G.). Was seemingly destroyed by Jasper in Griffith Park through the use of a special "fennel knife". *Markos, a Gangrel and former Sheriff under Prince Vannevar Thomas. His confrontation with the coterie at The Grove saw Jasper remove his head from his shoulders, sending him to the Final Death. *Gary Golden, an older Nosferatu and former movie star who lairs beneath Hollywood Forever with his childer. An eccentric and wily character, Golden maintains independence from the sects by selling information to the highest bidder. References Outside V5 Season 1 *Isaac Abrams is a character in the 2004 video game Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (an phenomenally popular hit despite its unfinished release). Set in 2004 - set in a pre-V5 metaplot - Isaac Abrams was also then the Baron of Hollywood. An old and more austere voice among the LA Anarchs yet a well-intentioned Baron, his information was instrumental in stopping a Sabbat incursion into the city. In L.A. By Night, he seems to have turned more ruthless and tyrannical than before (with Jasper making remarks that he follows Abrams' orders because the alternative means the true and Final Death). *Therese Voerman is the Baron of Santa Monica. Like Isaac, she was also a Bloodlines character and the Baron of Santa Monica based in her nightclub, "The Asylum." She is mentioned several times throughout Season 1 and "X" is a known agent working under her Barony. She is present at the Succubus Club when the coterie confronts Bobby Blaine. In Episode 10, Nelli and Isaac also mention Therese's "twin sister" Jeanette Voerman - also a character from Bloodlines. *Nines Rodriguez, the de-facto leader of the Anarchs during the events of Bloodlines is mentioned several times - along with his crew. Like in Bloodlines, he resides in Downtown Los Angeles. He is present at the Succubus Club when the coterie confronts Bobby Blaine. *Ramona mentions a friend of hers named Beckett - one of the Kindred world's most (in)famous and traveled archaeologists whom she met during the course of the events detailed in Beckett's Jyhad Diary. *Vannevar Thomas is a character dating back to Revised Edition. There, he is the Prince of San Francisco with a history in the city dating back before the early 1900s. He is eventually usurped by an up-and-coming wunderkind (a fellow Ventrue) named Jochen Van Nuys. Van Nuys himself is quickly replaced by an ambitious British Ventrue named Sara Anne Winder when his "failures" cost the Camarilla dearly during the invasion of the Kuei-jin. V5's metaplot deviates from the original. Beckett's Jyhad Diary mentions Van Nuys, the Kuei-jin, and their leadership, but with Vannevar Thomas still the Prince of his city. In L.A. By Night, Victor mentions hearing "strange things" have been happening as he warns Anabelle to stay away from San Francisco. Season 2 * Maximillian Strauss is mentioned in Chaz Price's declaration of praxis, having been named Prince Thomas' Keeper of Elysium. Another character from Bloodlines, in the video game Strauss was the Regent of the Tremere Chantry in L.A., as well as his clan's Primogen under Prince Sebastian LaCroix. In L.A. By Night, he apparently has some yet-undisclosed connection to Eva, another Tremere and longtime ally of the coterie. * The coterie meets "Gorgeous" Gary Golden as well as his childer Imalia and Mitnick (all characters from Bloodlines). All three characters are portrayed similarly to their counterparts, though with a notable divergence in that Golden in L.A. by Night is notoriously independent, whereas Golden in ''Bloodlines ''was a member of the Camarilla, serving as the Nosferatu Primogen. References External links * L.A. by Night on the Geek and Sundry YouTube Channel Category:Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Category:Vampire: The Masquerade live-play chronicles